The Portuguese

Looking for a route to Asia, the Portuguese used the modern navigational instruments and logical reasoning to establish a new route to secure goods. Read page 41 of the textbook and write the points of how the people of Portugal determined the new route to Asia.

Why the Portuguese explored:

• to find a new route
• sailed east to find Asia
• an eastern sea route to Asia did not lie through the Mediterranean Sea, as it was already well mapped.
• the Portuguese thought it might be south of the Mediterranean and around Africa
• eventually people were sailing below Africa's southern tip